What to say by way of introduction? We're an early sixty-something couple living in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. The most important people in our lives are our three children, three children-in-law, and six grandchildren. How did we get to this point in life?

Martha was born and raised with the surname of Reichel in Chicago, IL. She attended Schurz High School and later graduated from Bethel College in St. Paul, MN, majoring in art and anthropology. She taught school for a year in Libby, MT, before her life merged with Don's.

Don calls Modesto, CA his home area, growing up on a walnut and chicken farm. He attended Ripon Christian Schools, then moved on to Grand Rapids, MI, to complete Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary.

Together we embarked on a career involving linguistics, the development of minority (usually indigenous) languages, and Bible translation. We've worked for over thirty years with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International. We've had the privilege of living for shorter or longer stretches in Grand Rapids, MI; Chula Vista, CA (where our children were born); Quebec City and Sept-Iles, Quebec (for a 12 year stretch--the longest we've lived in the same city); Yaoundé, Cameroon; N'Djamena, Chad; Iroquois, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; and now Kemptville, Ontario.

Don's position in Wycliffe is the Americas Area Director of Language Program Services. In this capacity he oversees services and develops strategy for Bible translation and language development projects in North, Central, and South America. A fine staff of coordinators and specialists provide services such as quality control in translation, linguistic analysis, development of literacy curricula, vernacular and academic publications, specialized software training, and archiving.

Martha assists Don in their home office and serves Wycliffe Canada part-time in the Personnel Department. She would love to consider herself "semi-retired" and give more time to family and friends, but somehow the reality of that stays just out of reach. With the completion of a year-long training program in Spiritual Direction, who knows what avenues of service the Lord will open up?

None of this would be possible without the dedicated support of a network of donors:  now five churches plus forty individuals/families.

The sacred part of this journey has been walking with God, the Creator and Redeemer of the peoples of this earth. He's the one who lovingly breathes life into us with each new day and to whom we look for energy, direction and joy.